Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a laundry pretreatment composition which is suitable for the treatment of heavily oil- and grease-soiled portions of laundry articles which are subsequently washed in the customary way. Compositions of the type herein enhance the effect of the detergent with respect to difficult soil types which, in general, are not adequately removed in the so-called "delicates" program at 30.degree. to 40.degree. C. or in the "easy-care" program at 50.degree. to 60.degree. C. of a laundry machine.
Laundry pretreatment compositions of the type herein have to satisfy a number of requirements which are not all met by known compositions. These requirements include:
1. specific dissolving power for fats, oils and waxes, PA0 2. avoidance of ring formation from soil areas spreading across the fabrics, PA0 3. complete removability during the subsequent washing process, i.e the surfactant components used should not leave any greasy marks behind on the fabrics after the washing process, PA0 4. avoidance of foaming during the subsequent washing process, PA0 5. non-toxicity to humans and domestic animals, PA0 6. adequate biodegradability of the detergent components used in the wastewater, PA0 7. the composition should be formulated in such a way that there is no need for fluorinated hydrocarbons to be used as propellants. PA0 (a) from 5 to 15% by weight of at least one anionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of C.sub.12 -C.sub.18 alkali metal alkylsulfates, or PA0 from 25 to 45% by weight of at least one nonionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of alkyl polyglycol ether and alkylphenol polyglycol ether respectively containing 6 to 10 ethylene oxide groups, the alkyl alcohol groups containing from 12 to 18 carbon atoms and the alkyl phenol groups from 8 to 9 carbon atoms in the alkyl portion, or PA0 from 5 to 15% by weight of a mixture of at least one of the PA0 (b) from 50 to 55% by weight of at least one cosurfactant in the presence of anionic surfactants, and from 35 to 50% by weight of at least one cosurfactant in the absence of anionic surfactants, said cosurfactant consisting of C.sub.5 or C.sub.6 monoalcohols or adducts thereof optionally containing up to 2 ethylene oxide groups, and PA0 (c) from 45 to 30% by weight of water in the presence of anionic surfactants, and from 40 to 5% by weight of water in the absence of anionic surfactants, all weights being based on the weight of said composition, PA0 and wherein said composition is in the form of an invertmicellar ternary mixed phase.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a new laundry pretreatment composition which is particularly suitable for the removal of oily and greasy soil and, at the same time, is free from environment-polluting halogenated hydrocarbons.